offrostandflames's review against another edition
4.0
Fun, but overall the pacing was a bit strange, a lot of time is spent on set up, but the final big battle feels quite brief, and it's difficult to believe the world is at peril when it's over in about 10 minutes
sbauer378's review
3.0
This wasn't as good as the rest of the series. The end was a bit rushed and I thought the romance was a bit forced.
jamrock's review against another edition
3.0
If you read Mistborn trilogy, cried a river and then, desperate for more, read The Alloy Law trilogy you will be familiar with the still-hungry tale of disappointment that follows...not that the Wax & Wayne books weren't fantastic, they were, but after the original Mistborn it felt a little *too* YA and much too shallow and all of this is only because both authors surpassed all standards-of-ever with the immense world building in their first series.
If this book had come out a year or two after Abhorsen then all would be well and this would be five stars, maybe four. It didn't though and as it has taken ten years we expected more. This is a continuation of the story, carrying on just a few months after the ending of Abhorsen, with many of the same characters (the ones that survived that final battle anyway) but with two key exceptions, Mogget and Kibbeth.
Okay, so Mogget was freed for playing his part in the battle against Orannis and Kibbeth went deep into Death to rescue Nicholas and lost her her physical body. Fine. But not fine because those characters, in the main, were the ones who told the story of the Charter, the Bright Shiners, the building of The Wall. Christ, they actually were Free Magic beings. It was the world-building that set the original trilogy apart and that made all of us Old Kingdom fans desperate for more.
What we get here is a novella, a longer version of The Creature in the Case and, in part, that's okay because there is really strong link that, along with Clariel, weaves through all of the books to tell the complete story of Chlorr of the Mask. As a set of five books they sit nicely together but WE NEED MORE.
I could only give this four stars if I knew that another trilogy had been written, three books of AT LEAST 1000 pages each that told the full story of the Nine Bright Shiners, why Mogget refused to take part in the binding of Orannis, the building of the wall, the joining of The Old Kingdom to Ancelstierre, the founding of The Clayr and the making of the bells. That trilogy if it ever comes will be the five stars...but I won't cast a Charter spell to create an oxygen bubble because I will be holding my breath for too long and will have passed the Ninth Gate and onwards to final Death.
Maybe 3 1/2 stars, but not quite.
Somebody tell me I am wrong....
If this book had come out a year or two after Abhorsen then all would be well and this would be five stars, maybe four. It didn't though and as it has taken ten years we expected more. This is a continuation of the story, carrying on just a few months after the ending of Abhorsen, with many of the same characters (the ones that survived that final battle anyway) but with two key exceptions, Mogget and Kibbeth.
Okay, so Mogget was freed for playing his part in the battle against Orannis and Kibbeth went deep into Death to rescue Nicholas and lost her her physical body. Fine. But not fine because those characters, in the main, were the ones who told the story of the Charter, the Bright Shiners, the building of The Wall. Christ, they actually were Free Magic beings. It was the world-building that set the original trilogy apart and that made all of us Old Kingdom fans desperate for more.
What we get here is a novella, a longer version of The Creature in the Case and, in part, that's okay because there is really strong link that, along with Clariel, weaves through all of the books to tell the complete story of Chlorr of the Mask. As a set of five books they sit nicely together but WE NEED MORE.
I could only give this four stars if I knew that another trilogy had been written, three books of AT LEAST 1000 pages each that told the full story of the Nine Bright Shiners, why Mogget refused to take part in the binding of Orannis, the building of the wall, the joining of The Old Kingdom to Ancelstierre, the founding of The Clayr and the making of the bells. That trilogy if it ever comes will be the five stars...but I won't cast a Charter spell to create an oxygen bubble because I will be holding my breath for too long and will have passed the Ninth Gate and onwards to final Death.
Maybe 3 1/2 stars, but not quite.
Somebody tell me I am wrong....
spammie's review against another edition
4.0
Great installment to a fantastic series. a little slow to begin with but still kept me hooked throughout.
beckylizbeth's review
5.0
Goldenhand was incredible! It was so good to return to a world and characters I loved and knew so much as a child, and also to meet some new people and discover new places. The Old Kingdom series is by far my favourite, and I hope Garth Nix continues the series.
Like Lirael and the Dog...I just don't think I am ready to let go yet.
Thank you, Garth Nix, for creating such a beloved world for me to escape to.
Like Lirael and the Dog...I just don't think I am ready to let go yet.
Thank you, Garth Nix, for creating such a beloved world for me to escape to.
kelskiiz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
i feel like, in this series, the build up/journey always takes so long and then the climax is over in a flash, but the characters and world building make the journey so enjoyable it doesn’t even matter. so many old friends!! my heart is happy after reading this.
also i love ferin with my whole entire heart.
also i love ferin with my whole entire heart.
kayu99's review
4.0
A welcome return to the Old Kingdom. I liked the focus on Lirael and Nick, although I wish there could have been more of Sam. I also enjoyed Lirael's return to the glacier of the Clayr, particularly the depiction of her change in status (from Second Assistant Librarian to Abhorsen-in-Waiting) and some of the reactions to it. Watching Sabriel work with Lirael was also satisfying, and I wish there had been more of it. The final vanquishing of Chlorr of the Mask was enjoyable and I am very glad I read "Clariel" before this one.
The alternating chapters were kind of unwieldy. Although Ferin's journey was fun to read about, the pacing throughout the book may have been better if each story was told in bigger blocks instead of having it be every other with Lirael's chapters.
The alternating chapters were kind of unwieldy. Although Ferin's journey was fun to read about, the pacing throughout the book may have been better if each story was told in bigger blocks instead of having it be every other with Lirael's chapters.
opheliablack's review against another edition
5.0
Please note; my star rating on any book is completely subjective and limited to the label for each star.
1 Star I didn’t like it
2 Stars It was okay
3 Stars I liked it
4 Stars I really liked it
5 Stars It was amazing!
If I do actually have something to say about a book other than what my enjoyment factor was, I will write a review and share my thoughts. If I say I didn’t like a book but there wasn’t anything about it that I thought needed to be shared, then that’s it, I just didn’t like it.
If you’d like to start a discussion about a book or you’d like an actual review, ask any question you like and I’ll be happy to try and comply/respond.
Additional note; I do not feed the trolls. If you don’t have something constructive to say, or if you can’t say it in a respectful way, you won’t get a response from me. Ever.
1 Star I didn’t like it
2 Stars It was okay
3 Stars I liked it
4 Stars I really liked it
5 Stars It was amazing!
If I do actually have something to say about a book other than what my enjoyment factor was, I will write a review and share my thoughts. If I say I didn’t like a book but there wasn’t anything about it that I thought needed to be shared, then that’s it, I just didn’t like it.
If you’d like to start a discussion about a book or you’d like an actual review, ask any question you like and I’ll be happy to try and comply/respond.
Additional note; I do not feed the trolls. If you don’t have something constructive to say, or if you can’t say it in a respectful way, you won’t get a response from me. Ever.
meganlikesrocks's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5